Government cannot restrict free speech. 

The First Amendment guarantees “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

In just 45 words the founders guaranteed our five basic freedoms, not the least among them the freedom of speech. 

Government cannot use its strong arm to silence its critics — not in the United States of America. 

The First Amendment protects the people of the United States from the government itself. It is the very beginning of our Bill of Rights and that promise sets us apart from authoritarian regimes. 

The First Amendment holds government in check. 

The First Amendment does not restrict or regulate businesses or individual rights. It protects our liberty, it does not take away the freedoms of businesses or individuals. 

If a business, organization or non-government agency does not want to be a platform for speech it deems inappropriate, that is in no way an abridgment of First Amendment rights. 

If Twitter or Facebook suspends a user’s account for whatever reason, it is well within their rights to do so. These are private businesses that can make decisions about how their respective platforms will be used. 

If they chose not to use their platforms to help spread misinformation not only is that not a violation of the First Amendment, it is the responsible thing to do.  

During the weekend, Twitter temporarily suspended the Twitter account of Rep. Marjorie Greene, and for good reason. 

Greene, who has spewed debunked QAnon conspiracy theories and has been tweeting untrue allegations about the Georgia election, has not been silenced, and no one has abridged her First Amendment rights. 

She can shout her conspiracy theories from the rooftop but that does not mean Twitter — a business — has to hand her a megaphone.